Portlets anidados

Portlets anidados

The Primary Years Programme

The integration of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) with the New Zealand Curriculum provides the foundation for learning which makes schooling at Kristin so distinctive and unique. The PYP is taught to all students from Kindergarten to Year 6. The programme culminates in Year 6 with the PYP Exhibition where students undertake a comprehensive collaborative inquiry process to identify, investigate and offer solutions to real-life issues in a local and global context.

Our aim is to provide our students with international understanding and with opportunities to practice responsible world citizenship. Our students are encouraged to become critical thinkers, goal setters, and enthusiastic life long learners through the provision of a stimulating and enriched curriculum that is strong in core academic areas and enriched through cultural, physical and artistic pursuits.

More information on specific areas of the curriculum can be found in the Junior School Handbook in our Documents and Resources section.

The Primary Years Programme

In the PYP a balance is sought between acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, development of conceptual understanding, demonstration of positive attitudes, and taking of responsible action.

One of the most significant and distinctive features of the IB Primary Years Programme is the six transdisciplinary themes. These themes provide teachers and students with the opportunity to incorporate local and global issues into their work and help to broaden their understanding beyond individual subject areas.

Who we are

An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where we are in place and time

An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationship between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How we express ourselves

An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

How the world works

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws, the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

How we organize ourselves

An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Sharing the planet

An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and other living things; communities and the relationship within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Students inquire into, and learn about, these globally significant issues in the context of units of inquiry, each of which addresses a central idea relevant to a particular transdisciplinary theme. Lines of inquiry are identified in order to explore the scope of the central idea for each unit. These inquiries are substantial, in-depth and usually last for several weeks.

Since these ideas relate to the world beyond the school, students see their relevance and connect with it in an engaging and challenging way. Students who learn in this way begin to reflect on their roles and responsibilities as learners and become actively involved with their education.